Score-board.



Patented May 27, I902.

J. D. CARTER.

SCORE BOARD.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. CARTER, OF COALHILL, ARKANSAS.

SCORE-BOARD.

BPIECIFICATION forming part of Letters ?atent No. 700,738, dated May 27, 1902. Application filed August 29, 1901. Serial No. 73,758. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coalhill, in the county of Johnson and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Base- Ball Score-Board, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a base-ball scoreboard.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of devices for keeping the score of games and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient base ball score board adapted to be easily'and conveniently operated and capable of enabling the person keeping the score to watch the game without liability of interfering with the keeping of an accurate record of the game.

A further object of the invention is to provide a base-ball score-board of this character adapted to be operated in any position and capable of displaying the record and of affording full information of the condition or result of the game, so thatit will be unnecessary to interrupt the score-keeper should a player or other person desire to ascertain how the game stands at any particular time.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a base-ball score-board constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 2, illustrating the manner of mounting the rolls.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a casing rectangular in crosssection and provided at the front nearthe top with apertures 2 and 3, adapted to expose portions of ribbons 4: and 5 for indicating the number of runs of the home and visiting clubs during a game of base-ball. Each ribbon is mounted on upper and lower transverse rolls 6 and 7, journaled insuitable bearings of the sides of the casing and of a central sup porting-bar 8 and provided with extensions forming grips or handles by means of which they are rotated to move the ribbons in either direction. Each ribbon is preferably provided near its upper end with a centrally-arranged cipher, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the numerals, which may be of any desired number, are preferably alternately arranged at opposite sides of the ribbon in two separate columns, with blank intervening spaces between the numerals of each column, so that there will be noliability of any inaccuracy or mistake in registering the score, as the operator cannot skip or miss a numeral without readily noticing the fact. The blank spaces prevent the operator from accidentally passing a numeral in the same column as the one last exposed, and the alternate arrangement of the numerals will operate as a check on the person keeping the score and enable him to operate more accurately than would be possible were the numerals all arranged in the same column. The ribbon is wound around the upper and lower rolls to which it is attached, and the apertures 2 and 3 are of suflicient length to expose a portion of both columns of the ribbon.

The bar Sis arrangedparallel-with the sides of the casing and is provided at opposite sides with bearing-openings for the reception of the inner journals of the rolls. The outer journals or reduced portions of the rolls are pro vided with an elastic band 9, which is slightly compressed in slots 10 of the sides of the casing and which frictionally engage the bearing-slots 10, whereby the rollers are held against accidental rotation. The elastic bands enable the rollers to be readily rotated in either direction when the necessary power is applied, and they are capable of holding the rolls in any position and will be found more advantageous than a pawl and ratchet, which necessitates agiven amount of rotation of the rolls at each operation and which might interfere with the proper movement of the ribbon should the same be of considerable length and be unevenly wound on the rolls.

The casingis provided at opposite sides with rolls 11 and 12, designed to bear a series of numerals from 1 to 9 for indicating the players and for designatin the player last at IOG the bat. Each player will in practice be given a number, and this will befound exceedingly simple and will enable much time to be saved. The numerals of the rolls are exposed through apertures 13 and 14, and the rolls, which are constructed substantially the same as those heretofore described, are provided with inner and outer journals and have elastic bands 15, arranged on the outer reduced portions or journals and located within slots 16 and engaging the same.

The casing is provided at its front, which is mounted in suitable ways 17, with a vertical guide 18, receiving a slide 19 and having side flanges 20 for engaging the same. The side flanges are arranged at a slight angle and extend inward over the body portion of the guide, and the slide has beveled edges to fit in the grooves formed by the flanges. The vertical guide is provided with a series of numerals for indicating the innings of the game, and the slide has a sight-aperture 21 for exposing the numerals. The numerals, which may be of any desired number, are separated by transverse lines for indicating half-innings. The slide 19 is adapted to be moved vertically to expose different numerals, which are arranged in a vertical series.

The front of the casing is also provided with a card-holder 22, preferably consisting of a metal plate provided at its upper and lower edges and at its inner end with flanges forming ways for the reception of a card 23, which is inserted in the holder from the outer end and which is designed, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to bear the following: Game closed in inning on account of +3 The blank spaces are designed to be filled in with the number of the inning in which the game was called and the reason for which it was called, so that in such an event the base-ball score-board will afford full and complete information of the game. The front of the casing, which is arranged in the said ways 17, is adapted to be readily removed to afford access to the interior; but the casing may be constructed in any other suitable manner and the card holder may be changed or otherwise arranged.

The casing is provided at a point between the card-holder and the aperture 14: with an apertur 2a for exposing numerals of a roll 25, constructed substantially the same as the rolls heretofore described, and provided with nnmerals for indicating the number of players out.

It will be seen that the base-ball score-board is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is easily and accurately operated, and that it will afford full and complete information of the game at any stage thereof.

lVhat I claim is A device of the class described comprising a casing provided at its front with apertures and having open bearing-recesses at opposite sides, said casing being also provided with an intermediate bar having opposite bearings, the ribbon-receiving rolls arranged in pairs and provided with inner and outer journals arranged in the said bearings and in the bearing-recesses, the removable front arranged in suitable ways of the sides of the casing, the independently-movable rolls having inner and outer journals detachably arranged in the bearings of the intermediate bar and in the bearing-recesses, the elastic bands arranged on the outer journals and frictionally engaging the same and the walls of the open outer bearing-recesses and retaining the rolls in their adjusted positions and permitting the same to be rotated when sufficient force is applied, a card-holder mounted on the casing, and a guide arranged at the front of the easing and having a slide, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN D. CARTER.

lVitnesses:

CniAs. L. FLAKE, D. M. HUNT. 

